Politics

Why PDP Spared Makinde, Ugwuanyi, Descended On Ortom, Fayose, Anyim— Sources

Published

3 years ago

March 26, 2023

... ‘Wike still under investigation’

Many people believed they were enemies within the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, because they not only disagreed with the party leadership on who should be their presidential candidate ahead of the February 25 elections but it was alleged in many quarters that they also worked against the party.

They operated under the aegis of Integrity Group but the governors among them were famously known as the G5.

The crux of the matter was their insistence on the removal of the PDP Chairman, Dr Iyorchia Ayu, who hails from the North just like the party’s presidential candidate.

Led by Governor Nyesom Wike (Rivers State) who had contested for the party’s presidential ticket with Atiku but came second, they canvassed the ceding of the party’s chair to the South as a form of geopolitical balancing.

But their demand was never met, thus setting the stage for a stalemate ahead of the polls.

Opposition parties won the February 25 presidential election in the states controlled by the G5 governors namely Wike (Rivers), Seyi Makinde (Oyo), Okezie Ikpeazu (Abia), Samuel Ortom (Benue) and Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi (Enugu).

Thus it wasn’t unexpected that the PDP leadership would fight back now that the elections are over and Atiku not only lost but the party also lost some states it hitherto controlled.

‘No blanket decision’

The PDP National Working Committee, NWC, had, on Thursday, suspended former Senate President, Senator Anyim Pius Anyim, former Ekiti State Governor, Mr Ayo Fayose, his former Katsina State counterpart, Alhaji Ibrahim Shema and two chieftains of the party, Prof. Dennis Ityavyar (Benue State), Dr Aslam Aliyu (Zamfara State) over alleged anti-party activities.

Of the lot, at least Fayose had been linked to the G5 governors. The NWC also referred Ortom to the party’s National Disciplinary Committee.

However, the decision to spare Makinde, Ugwuanyi, Ikpeazu and Wike alleged to have also engaged in anti-party activities has set tongues wagging.

Vanguard gathered, in Abuja, that the NWC treated each case on an individual basis.

A member of the party’s NWC, who was privy to what transpired during the meeting when the decision was taken to suspend Fayose and co was taken, explained that it “was not a blanket decision.”

The source, who spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak on the issue, said, “We treated each case on its merit.”

He went on: “It was as simple as looking at the level of infraction committed by each of those whose cases were brought before us.

“His Excellency Governor, Seyi Makinde, and his Enugu State counterpart, Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi, for example, were not overtly hostile to the party in spite of the differences we had.

“These two party members contributed men and materials to support our presidential campaigns, especially in their respective states.

“They also didn’t openly canvass for support for presidential candidates other than Atiku Abubakar unlike Ortom who openly declared his support for Peter Obi and to add salt to injury also asked his supporters to vote for Obi.

“Even when there were speculations that Makinde and Ugwuanyi were supporting the All Progressives Congress presidential candidate, Bola Tinubu, they were diplomatic and subtle in their approach.

“We are a party governed by rules and regulations. For every action there are consequences.

“As for Governor Wike, his case is still being investigated; although he disparaged our presidential candidate, he was careful not to openly canvass for the candidate of another party.”
VANGUARD

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Politics

Wike: Why Removing Fubara Will Be Difficult – Ex-Commissioner

Published

20 hours ago

January 9, 2026

Editor

A former Rivers State Commissioner for Information and Communication, Austin Tam-George, has said that attempts to impeach Governor Siminalayi Fubara would be difficult to sustain, citing what he described as the governor’s performance record and the lack of concrete allegations against him.

Tam-George made the remarks on Thursday while speaking on Prime Time on Arise Television, arguing that the impeachment process being initiated against Fubara was to scuttle his chance for a second term.

According to him, Governor Fubara has continued to place the needs of the people at the centre of his administration, with visible interventions in rural development, housing, education and healthcare.

He said this, in his view, has made it difficult for opponents to justify moves to remove the governor from office.

Tam-George also called on the All Progressives Congress, APC, to intervene, arguing that the party should not allow what he described as the humiliation of a sitting governor.

He said: “Well, all I think he needs to do is to do exactly what he’s been doing from the beginning, which is to place the people at the center of gravity of his administration, prioritize the needs of the people, so that the people can see the direct impact of government action in their lives.

“And that’s exactly what he’s doing in terms of rural development, in terms of housing sector transformation, which I mentioned that he is doing the same in education sector and in health.

“So if he continues, if he persists in placing the people’s need at the center of focus of his administration, there is no way they are going to be able to justify this kind of shenanigans.

“Because, if you look very carefully at the so called articles of impeachment, you will see that there is no specificity in terms of any infraction by the governor or his deputy.

“What they are trying to do is to make sure they scuttle the administration so that the governor doesn’t then get to the point where he will be seeking a second term.

“Let me be clear, just two days ago, Nyesom Wike was at one of the local governments, and he made it clear in a moment of epiphany, he made it clear that, look, if Governor Fubara were to get a second term in office, it will amount to his own political burial.

“So all of these things that we are seeing the so called impeachment proceedings they’ve initiated, it’s actually an effort to try to scuttle the prospects of the governor coming for a second term, and I don’t see how they will succeed.

“If you look at the so called articles of impeachment, as I said, they lack specificity in terms of the kind of infraction that they allege that the governor has committed. He has done nothing wrong, and they will see how the process will play out.

“My sense, and in fact, if I were to advise the governor, my sense is that he should just maintain the people, retain the people at the center of gravity of his administration, meet their needs, run a transparent administration as he always done, and then the truth will come out, and he will be able to defend the administration.

“I think the the governing APC should also step in because they can’t possibly allow the governor of the office with probably one of the best performance records in the country to be humiliated by some of these members of the assembly.”

Politics

Wike A ‘Pestilence’ On Rivers, I Resigned Because Of It – Ex-Commissioner

Published

20 hours ago

January 9, 2026

Editor

Austin Tam George, a former Rivers State Commissioner for Information and Communication, has described the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, as a destabilising force in Rivers State, accusing him of attempting to exert godfatherism over the state’s political affairs.

He argued that the move to impeach the governor is a calculated attempt to reassert political control and reduce Fubara’s growing influence.

Tam George, who served under Wike’s administration, made the remarks on Thursday while speaking on Prime Time on Arise Television.

He said he resigned as commissioner due to what he described as Wike’s propensity for chaos and instability and the reduction of governance to a personality-driven system.

According to him, the current political tension in the state is the culmination of Wike’s long-standing approach to power, which he said is now manifesting in efforts to control the state for personal political influence.

He said: “Nyesom Wike has been a complete pestilence on Rivers state. I served in his administration as commissioner for information. As you know, I resigned precisely because of these, his propensity for chaos, for instability and reducing government to a personality cult, more or less. And I’m so disappointed that this propensity has now crystallized today to a stage where the state is now held by the juggler by person who thinks that he will be political godfather over the rest of Rivers state.

“But what I think is going to happen in this final phase of this struggle is that Rivers’ people ultimately are going to resist and defeat this tendency to want to privatize the state, to want to capture the state for his own personal aggrandizement.

“Governor Fubara has been an excellent administrator. I have to say he’s spending money building people’s capacity, lifting communities out of poverty. Money you would have expected that he would have diverted to political godfathers are now being spent in critical sectors such as education, where he’s completely transforming the sector, in health where almost all the tertiary health care systems are revived, 122 primary health care centers spread across the 23 local government areas.

“There is a total transformation happening on a sector by sector basis, and this has endeared the governor to the people of the state.

“Now there is a strong likelihood that he may be seeking a second term to expand his legacy and to consolidate his achievements for the benefit of all. And this will mean that there is going to be, you know, a reduction of Wike’s influence.

“So what you see as an impeachment move is an attempt to try to reassert what they consider to be their leverage against the governor.”

Politics

Why We’re Impeaching Fubara — Rivers Assembly

Published

1 day ago

January 8, 2026

Editor

The Rivers State House of Assembly has given reasons for the ongoing impeachment proceedings against Governor Siminalayi Fubara.

The Majority Leader of the Assembly, Major Jack, said the decision to impeach the governor and his deputy was based on their alleged persistent violation of the peace agreement brokered by President Bola Tinubu.

Jack made the allegation during plenary on Thursday while presenting the report detailing acts of misconduct against the governor.

According to him, Governor Fubara and his deputy had repeatedly disregarded the resolutions reached during reconciliation efforts aimed at restoring stability in the state.

He accused the two leaders of running the affairs of government without commitment to transparency and good governance.

“The governor and his deputy have continued to act in a manner that undermines democratic principles and accountability,” Jack said.

He further alleged that the peace deals facilitated by President Tinubu were breached on several occasions, including agreements reached during reconciliation meetings held in December 2023 and another in 2025.

Jack insisted that the continued failure of the governor and his deputy to honour the terms of the peace accord necessitated the impeachment process currently before the Assembly.